"Full system reset": Practitioner delves into the benefits of breathwork
Written for Daily Hive by Monica Krake, a Certified Breathwork Practitioner and founder of Head + Heart.
In the last few years, breathwork has become one of the most trendy and talked about wellness practices, and there’s a good reason for it! Breathwork is truly a powerful tool to support healing, help us access inner peace, and connect us with our highest selves.
I began my own breathwork practice several years ago, when I was gifted a breathwork session with a healer in my community. At that time, I was seeking help to repair my nervous system, which was completely haywire. In my first few sessions, I felt some incredible shifts, as my body was finally able to release years of pent-up tension. Then, as I discovered a new sense of freedom in my body, I began receiving insights about what I truly needed in life, which showed me how to expand into a more optimal way of being and living, that has continued ever since. There’s a reason why people compare a single breathwork session to 10 years of therapy!
Today, as a breathwork guide, I guide people through a style of breathwork called Conscious Connected Breathwork, which I learned through several breathwork training programs. This style of breathing is a form of meditation that is typically done laying down, breathing continuously through an open mouth with a relaxed jaw for between 20 to 90 minutes per session. By dropping into the body to connect with the flow of our breath, we not only release the grip of the mind but this type of breathing is linked to many health and energetic benefits, which I’ve outlined below.
If you’re curious about the practice of breathwork for your own journey, keep reading! This article dives into where this practice came from, and what we know about its scientific benefits. And if you’re ready to try breathwork, scroll down for a list of ways you can explore a guided session around Vancouver and beyond. Enjoy, and feel free to send me a DM if you have any questions.
The History of Breathwork
While many of us have only heard the word “breathwork” in the last few years, according to breathwork trainer Shanilla Satar, “The roots of breathing practices can be traced to every native culture in North America.” While we don’t have the exact ancient origins of what we practice today, historians have traced formal breathwork practices to communities including the Essenes (a Jewish sect), the Kalahari !Kung Bushmen of Africa, and the Vedic Indian traditions of Yoga.
The most popular breathwork practices that we’re seeing today, such as Conscious Connected Breathwork, Holotropic, Vivation, and ReBirthing, entered the mainstream in the ’60s and ’70s through pioneers in the field like Leonard Orr and Sondra Ray (ReBirthing), Jim Leonard (Vivation), Judith Kravitz (Transformational Breath) and Stanislov Grof (Holotropic Breathwork). From there, many styles have continued to emerge.
The Science of Breathwork
I want to start by saying that while active breathwork is generally safe for most, it’s not necessarily ideal for everyone. Breathwork is not generally recommended for people with a history of aneurysms and cardiovascular problems, and there are different perspectives on whether breathwork is safe during pregnancy, so be sure to investigate for yourself if you fall into one of these groups.
So, what exactly is happening in the body in the average breathwork session?
On a somatic level, there is a link between the roots (pelvic area) and the jaw, so simply by breathing through an open mouth for an extended period, we energetically support our body in feeling more grounded. If you do yoga, you’ve likely heard this before!
On the physical side of things, science shows that breathwork offers a direct path to a full system reset. The oxygenating effects of breathwork serve to put the body in a more alkaline, anti-inflammatory state, which is linked to supporting a stronger immune system and lowering anxiety. Because breathwork, which is a form of hyperventilation, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, this practice is linked to re-setting and re-patterning our systems, which can support better digestion, circulation, respiratory health, nervous system regulation, and even improve our sleep.
Because oxygen is such a key component to the overall function of our system, as we enter into a deeper relationship with our breath, we essentially bring more freshly oxygenated blood to the areas in the body that need nourishment.
And, we now know that everything is energy, so by entering into a breathwork practice with the intention to support greater flow in our lives, we are supporting the shifts we desire. Our breath shows us the places where we are stuck in patterns of tension, tightness, and holding on, and it supports us to re-pattern and access greater states of flow in our body and in our lives. In the sessions I offer as a breathwork practitioner, I see these shifts happen all the time and I continue to be blown away by what’s possible with breathwork.
Breathwork really is consciousness medicine. Breathing helps us to release and relax the mind, which opens us up to our intuition and other ways of knowing and experiencing. Many people do experience non-ordinary states during a breathwork journey — without taking any psychedelics. What’s more, breathwork opens up our capacity to feel, process and release stuck emotions. You’ve gotta feel it to heal it, they say (these empath quotes offer more inspo on being sensitive!). Here are a few ways you can explore this practice for yourself.
Three ways to try breathwork around Vancouver
A guided private session: If you’re new to breathwork, I’d recommend doing your first session as a private, live one-on-one session with a trusted, recommended practitioner. Around Vancouver, I would recommend Jenn Field on the Sunshine Coast, Carmen Ganne in Squamish, Ariana Fotinakis in North Vancouver, and myself, Monica Krake, in Port Moody. For more options, here is a list of recommended breathwork practitioners.
A virtual session: Group virtual breathwork sessions provide an affordable way to explore this practice in the community, and the energy of the group can make these extra supportive. I love the virtual breathwork sessions offered by Bree Melanson — which only happen a couple of times each year — Tai Hubbert, who offers monthly online sessions, and Shanila Sattar, who offers free breathwork sessions every Sunday night. Here are more options for virtual breathwork sessions.
The Ceremony: For those who are seeking clarity on their business purpose, and want to launch a new website that brings the true essence of their business to life, The Ceremony is just the ticket! This six-week process includes three guided breathwork and coaching sessions, one session with a gifted psychic Intuitive, and the creation and launch of a beautifully branded website (like this one). This is part soul work, part marketing, and 100% a ceremony of self-discovery.
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